Lip Man 1

I'm looking for long-term entertainment. Trading him, in theory, could bring back pieces that will actually help you be entertained by seeing them win actual games. In the short term if you want to be entertained I suggest rewatching the numerous Sox games from good seasons that are available via You Tube. Beats the dumpster fire the team is right now.

It's the "White Sox effect..."

Given the complete incompetence, dysfunction and ineptness of this organization from top to bottom I have a hard time figuring out ANY way this franchise will be competitive over the next two-three years at least. Therefore keeping Robert around while they continue to lose 95-100 games a year is just plain stupid. Get what you can for him while you can (before he seriously injures himself again). If this team was an actual well run organization with a legit change to do something by all means you keep him, he's a great talent. But the Sox aren't close, if JR still owns the team he won't be extended so what good does it do you keeping him?

Nightengale in his column Sunday wrote this: "The White Sox off to their worst start in franchise history, are still hoping to trade Tommy Pham to the highest bidder before the trade deadline." "The White Sox are also expected to trade starters Erick Fedde, Chris Flexen, Mike Clevinger, reliever Michael Kopech and DH Eloy Jimenez."

What happens when the guys you mentioned are all traded at the deadline? Then you have two final months of the club being even worse than when they started the season.

I know about the CW read it last week, that certainly could be a factor in any WGN decision.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2024/05/05/there-for-the-tanking-embrace-white-sox-pursuit-of-being-worst-team-in-mlb-history-jerry-reinsdorf

Lopez by the way is having the dreaded "adductor" issue.

DVS wrote he threw today and felt "fine."

That would be a welcomed development.

I honestly can't recall over the last several years, not just this one and not just last year, where the Sox have had everyone healthy. Simply not happening with this bunch of players and this staff.

You forgot Moncada whom I think the organization would love to unload.

Just a few thoughts. Chicago unlike New York or Los Angeles has never had a large number of 'independent' stations for potential over the air options. A big key to this will be if WGN wants to get back into the sports business. I have no idea if they do or not, if they do, that would really be a boost for the Sox if this report is legitimate. And to that end, for whatever it's worth, a reliable source told me today: "I'm getting some feedback that The Athletic story is inaccurate." I was hearing that last night as well, some are speculating that this was a deliberate plant to spur activity which wasn't coming to bear on what the Sox wanted to do. We'll see how this plays out.

Yay...that's all I got.

Always is with him, first, last and in-between. But that doesn't discount his ego.

JR who honestly thinks he's smarter than everyone else in baseball.

I remember reading on one of the threads someone posted in detail how MLB has been the most competitive league out of the four major pro sports. More different teams have played in the World Series/made playoffs the last few decades compared to the NFL and the NBA. Don't remember the specific numbers though.

I've been told more than once by others that when the Sox are sold the next owner won't be an individual, it will be a corporation.

Jim Margalus with an interesting take on this since he lives in Nashville: "By comparison, Standard Media Group has an extremely low profile. It says it’s headquartered in Nashville “with operations in New York, Lincoln, Nebraska, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Providence, Rhode Island,” but for a news organization, it’s jarringly scant on information. Its website bears a copyright date of 2021, its latest news article under “LATEST NEWS” is dated Nov. 11, 2022, and its contact page feels obligated to clarify that it has no connection to the Kenyan news organization Standard Group Plc." https://soxmachine.com/2024/05/no-stadium-deal-white-sox-find-different-partner-for-broadcast-future/

Colas seems to have done something to piss off folks in the front office/management that's for sure. Granted I think the guy is as "baseball-stupid" as the rest of them but it seems pretty clear he's being railroaded and not getting a lot of chances.

Reached out tonight to some folks in the business and to say they are shocked by this would be an understatement and they don't understand the rational behind it. One thing that was pointed out to me was that The Athletic's story was pretty shallow with not a lot of details. An individual thinks this whole story/document may be a plant that was delivered to The Athletic for a reason or reasons unknown by someone trying to get things moving forward with local/national distributors. In other words they were getting blowback and not a lot of response so by trying to bring in "another potential partner" (i.e. Standard) the bidding or interest may go up. Like Boras claiming there are multiple teams interested in a client of his (whether there are or not is debatable) All speculation. Another possibility may be that JR actually wanted to stay with NBC Sports Chicago but he may have been told privately, 'Hey we're eventually closing down our operation here like in other areas of the country that has already been done' and he didn't have a choice. But then after spending all that money on Stadium to pivot from that? Just bizarre to me. It will be interesting to read the justification for this and also if it comes to pass,what type of distribution he'll get.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports-media/2024/05/04/white-sox-bulls-blackhawks-nbc-sports-chicago-standard-media-group-stadium-jerry-reinsdorf-the-athletic Don't know the details of course but Stadium seemed like such a no doubt move you have to wonder why it fell apart? My guess is, the regional systems and outlets the Sox were exploring took a hard look at how awful the teams are and basically said they wanted no part of the dumpster fire, especially considering what they may have to pay for the rights. The rate of return would have been a money loser for them especially if they had to be placed in the most expensive tier to try to recoup their losses. Fans wouldn't be buying for some of the worst clubs in their respective leagues. Who knows for sure. Sounds like another "brilliant" JR move that blew up in his face.

Can't, JR says you have to somehow justify wasting that money on Maldonado.

He and Hernandez should have been fired long ago. Robot umps can't come soon enough.

Exactly. A one word difference doesn't drastically change the meaning. And even if you allow that to pass that doesn't excuse the other fundamental mistakes...Javy Baez...Bill Veeck et al.